German American Heritage Center & Museum

10/26/2026

Guests Who Never Checked Out: Peggy Treese, Part 1 of 5
Follow along this week to learn about the mystery of Peggy Treese. She was staying at the Standard Hotel when her body was found on September 30th 1947 on Credit Island. Her m*rder was never solved and still remains a mystery.

10/22/2026

Visit us this Saturday for free admission and the Spooky Spectacular!

🎃 Your Spooky Spectacular & Candy Crawl map is here!

Grab your costumes and head to Downtown Davenport this Saturday, October 24 from 12–3 p.m. for an afternoon of FREE family-friendly Halloween fun! 🍬

Collect candy at each participating business, shop exclusive deals and Halloween specials and enjoy free face painting, live magic, balloon animals, pumpkin smashing, spooky photo ops and MORE!

🗺️ Use this map to plan your route! Physical copies will be available at all participating businesses to guide you through the crawl.

Participating businesses:
• Abernathy's
• Aura Collective Bungee Fitness
• Boozies Bar & Grill
• Brady St. Blends
• City Loafers
• Coworkqc
• Daiquiri Factory
• Doodads
• German American Heritage Center & Museum
• Great River Brewery
• Macstavern Davenport
• Maldon Kitchen + Bar
• NEEKO
• Quad City Symphony Orchestra at the Adler Theatre
• Raccoon Motel
• RAYGUNshirts
• The Last Picture House
• Visit Quad Cities

More details: https://www.downtowndavenport.com/spooky-spectacular-candy-crawl/

10/22/2026

📜 This Saturday is the annual Quad Cities Archives Fair at the Putnam Museum! From 1:00 - 4:00 pm We will have over 20 institutions and resource tables sharing information about their collections, resources, and upcoming events in the area.

🧪 Stick around for a presentation at 1:30 or 3 pm with Curator of Natural History, Christine Chandler as she speaks about Strange Objects in the Putnam's collections.

⏰ This event is free and open to the public. We will have complimentary hot cocoa and cookies in the lobby. And remember to enter to win one of two raffle baskets!

🎟️ The Archives Fair event is free, but museum admission is required if you would like to explore the exhibits.

This event is planned by QC Stacks, an informal group for Quad Cities "collections people" (librarians, archivists, curators, collections managers, etc.).

10/16/2026

📷 The road construction project at Gaines and W. 2nd Street is providing a unique view of the German American Heritage Center and Museum - one without the obstruction of street lights, stop lights, and trees at the Centennial Bridge on-ramp. The street lights and stop lights will return in the coming months, but we're looking forward to newly reconstructed pedestrian pathways at the gateway to Downtown Davenport, Iowa.

🚧 Please don't let the construction project stop you from visiting us. The most common way visitors access our parking lot - the Gaines Street entrance - is still open and accessible from W. 3rd Street. There are barricades on Gaines, but drivers are permitted to use the street with the open access provided. Free unlimited parking is also available nearby on W. 3rd Street.

🗓️ October is Quad Cities Museum Month, and the German American Heritage Center and Museum has free admission every Saturday through October 31. Plus, we have a drawing each Saturday - this week's prize is a free individual membership and $100 off the rental fee for Miller Hall on our 4th floor!

➡️ Saturday visitors also receive a 10% discount in our gift shop, which is stocked up for the Christmas season. Ninety-five percent of items sold in our gift shop are imported from Germany, including German smokers, children's toys, home accessories, Inge-Glas ornaments, and more.

Also, be sure to visit other nearby attractions during QC Museum Month, including Bix Beiderbecke Museum & Archives, Figge Art Museum, and Putnam Museum and Science Center. It's presented by Visit Quad Cities and more information is available at www.qcmuseumweek.com

10/11/2026

Guests Who Never Checked Out, Part 4: Arthur Wundram.

Arthur Wundram, 20, was at the Miller's Hotel Saloon on a cold January evening in 1912. He was enjoying the company at the bar and enjoying a glass of wh***ey. The testimonies vary, but according to newspaper records, the men at the bar wanted to mess with young Arthur, and dared him to drink more than he should've. He ended up having several full b**r glasses of wh***ey that night. At closing, Arthur was too intoxicated to stand up, let alone walk home. The men at the bar threw him into the barn behind the saloon, and covered him with straw to sleep it off. It was below freezing, and their decision and lack of care caused Arthur's eventual death.
In the morning, Arthur was retrived from the barn and brought up to a hotel room. A doctor was called and confirmed Arthur's poor condition. He passed away at 4 pm that afternoon. A lethal mix of probable alochol poisoning plus a long night in the freezing cold was too much for him to endure. The patrons of the bar and the saloon keeper were arrested and questioned. They lied to Arthur's family when they had called looking for him the night he didn't come home. They claimed Arthur was not at the bar and that he was not served anything to drink. Arthur's story is unfortunate and should serve as a reminder that what seems like fun and games to one person, might be deadly to someone else.
The Wundram family came to the United States in 1884 from Schleswig-Holstein, like so many other German immigrant families in Davenport. Arthur's parents opened an operated a grocery store on Second Street and then moved locations to Fourth Street to provide for their family. Arthur Wundram was the uncle of well-known QCA reporter and colunmnist, Bill Wundram.

10/08/2026

Guests who never checked out, Part 3: Albert Shawcross.

There have been several fires throughout the history of our building. One of the most horrifying is the story of Albert Shawcross. In a drunken stupor, Albert was heading to bed when he accidentally knocked his oil lamp off the side table and onto himself. His clothing quickly went up in flames and seeking help, went to the halls to find anyone else around. The only other person in the halls was a blind man, who could not see what was happening but could feel the heat from the man in front of him.

Unfortunately, Albert did not survive this accident. He was pronounced d*ad at the hospital after the ambulance was called to take him to a doctor. Do you think Albert could still be roaming the halls?

10/07/2026

Guests who never checked out, Part 2: Paul Löbel
In 1891, Paul Löbel went up to his room at the Germania House, agitated and feeling the withdrawls of alcohol since he had been refused service at the bar. In his frenzy, he decided to drink chloral hydrate, commonly used for sedation or relaxation, but in large doses can be fatal. Paul took too much, and was discovered the next morning.

10/06/2026

🇩🇪 October 6 is German-American Day, established in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan to celebrate German-American heritage and commemorate the founding of Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1683.

Today is also the traditional kickoff to the Annual Appeal for the German American Heritage Center and Museum, and all contributions provide support for our operations, exhibitions, programs, and events throughout the year. Look for information about our 2026 Annual Appeal this fall in your mailbox, on our social media platforms, and in our e-newsletters. Donation checks can also be mailed to the German American Heritage Center and Museum, 712 W. 2nd St, Davenport, IA 52802 through the end of the year. Or, donate online on our Donation page at www.gahc.org.

Every donation to the Annual Appeal - in any amount - supports our National Historic Site and arts and culture in the Quad Cities.

10/04/2026

Our paranormal investigation is this coming weekend! This is a rare opportunity to spend an evening at the museum after hours and learn about some of the more unsavory history of our building.

Join us for a paranormal investigation, Saturday October 10th in Davenport, Iowa!

From the building's long history as a hotel for early German immigrants to its more seedy years as a brothel in the 20th century, the hotel was a hub for mayhem, mystery and tragedy in Davenport's early days. Learn about the history of German American Heritage Center & Museum and learn from the paranormal team about the tools and strategies used during investigations.

Whether you're a skeptic or a full believer, a night at the museum is the perfect way to get into the Halloween spirit.

$30 per person, ticket includes light refreshments and soft drinks.
A cash bar is available; enjoy a German b**r or w**e while kicking it with the spirits!

All proceeds go to supporting the museum's programming.

Recommended for ages 13 and up. We tell true stories of individuals who have died in the building and they may not be suitable for younger audiences.

Get Tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/geisternacht-paranormal-investigation-of-the-gahc-m